Pill dispenser having a socket-type discharge assistant



G- SZEKELY May 14, 1968 PILL DISPENSER HAVING A SOCKET-TYPE DISCHARGE ASSISTANT Filed 001$. 24, 1966 R we a 6 R O E G ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,383,013 PILL DISPENSER HAVING A SOCKET-TYPE DISCHARGE ASSISTANT George Szekely, 3123 Bailey Ave., Bronx, N.Y. 10463 Filed Oct. 24, 1966, Ser. No. 588,961 16 Claims. (Cl. 221-402) The present invention relates to pill and tablet dispensers, and more particularly to the type which is adapted to deliver one or two pills at a time from a bottle, box or other container, through a controlling diaphragm.

Numerous pill-dispensing packages have been attempted and suggested, but even the very few which have been in use at some time or another, have failed to satisfy fully the packaging needs of the pharmaceutical industry and various requirements and regulations of government agencies and of the medical profession. It is not sufiicient merely to provide a package with a properly functioning dispensing device. Even this fundamental requirement is often not satisfied in existing devices which become defective before the package is entirely emptied. The following features of structure and function should also be present, namely:

The dispensing device must be usable in conjunction with any bottle or other container currently standard on the market. There must be no need for modifications in, or permanent additions to the container structure which would require changes in the packaging machinery now in use. Any modifications in present packaging processes are strictly rejected by the packaging industry.

It should be possible that the dispenser device shall be made wholly of plastic in order to avoid metal and other corrodible materials, and to attain economy in production costs. The dispensing means must he a simple structure, devoid of springs, pivoted levers, linkages and other cumbersome operating members, and should be easily mountable on the containers. When so mounted and in non-use condition, the container contents should be maintained air and moisture-proof.

The wad of cotton usually included within the container, should be easily removable as at present, and the users fingers should not come in contact with a pill even after it is dispensed, should he Want to deposit it directly into a glass of Water, or even directly into the mouth. Furthermore, the dispensing device must be simple to operate, and its manner of operation should be readily evident to any adult, requiring no special education. At the same time, the manner of operation should be such that a small child should not be able to extract pills.

It is therefore the principal object of this invention to provide a novel and improved pill-dispensing device of the character mentioned, having the aforesaid attributes.

A fault commonly found in previous diaphragm-controlled pill-dispensing devices, was that during the long periods of time in which the dispenser-equipped package was not in use, as when in storage or in a medicine cabinet, the diaphragm structure remained in an extremely stressed condition. This soon impaired the flexibility there-of and curtailed its ability to function properly as intended. Consequently, in many instances, the dispensing device became defective eevn before the larger part of the container contents was dispensed.

It is therefore another important object of this invention to provide a novel and improved dispensing device of the kind described, in which the resiliency of the diaphragm never spoils, because when not in use, stresses therein are minute; such normal unstressed condition occurring automatically upon the resetting of the dispensing mechanism to ready-to-use condition, in which condition the package is normally kept.

3,383,013 Patented May 14, 1968 ice In dispensing devices of this class, a diaphragm of highly resilient material, is positioned across the opening of a container, as for instance, a bottles mouth. This diaphragm has a central opening of a size or structure which normally holds back the passage of a pill therethrough. A plug member is through said opening. This plug has an upward socket in its lower end, of a capacity to receive one or two pills when the bottle is inverted. The upper end of said plug serves as or is provided with handle means. Upon inverting this package assembly, the socket is, in most instances, automatically filled. Then the laden plug is withdrawn whereby its pill content is made available outside the bottle. Sometimes the plug comes out empty, if its loading is unobserved, because improperly positioned pills are kept back by the diaphragm.

Therefore, another object of this invention is to provide that when the plugs withdrawal is accomplished in part at least by a turning movement, that the pills at the socket rim shall be automatically given a slight shift whereby proper filling of the socket is facilitated.

Another object thereof is to provide a novel and improved construction so there is a double seal to keep the container contents air and moisture-proof.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as this disclosure proceeds.

In the various specific embodiments of this invention described herein, the container is shown as a transparent bottle having a cap. The pill-transporting plug may be permanently joined to the cap, or it may be a separate member movable through the cap. If desired, the diaphragm may also serve as the cap, when permanently fixed on the bottle. In the assembly with the bottle in erect position, the plug consists essentially of an upright element of substantially frusto-conical shape or the like, from whose apex region extends some sort of a handle means; there being an upwardly pill-receiving socket in its base region. The mouth of the bottle is barred by a resilient diaphragm having a central opening which is normally open, but small enough to hold back a pill from passage therethrough, and to hug slightly the extreme upper region of the cone-shape or thereabouts. Passage of the plug through the diaphragm only enlarges said opening temporarily. The diaphragm may be of various construction, preferred embodiments of which will be shown and their manner of mounting explained, as will be their automatic assumption of normal unstressed condition when the plug is in the assembly and the package is not in use and, of course, when the plug is out of the assembly. When desired, pill-shifting cam means are included on the plug member, to facilitate proper filling of the socket.

The term pills as used anywhere herein, shall be deemed to include tablets.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a preferred form of diaphragm which is included in the embodiments shown in the FIGS. 3 and 8 herein. Its structural scheme is used in all other diaphragms herein illustrated.

FIG. 2 is a similar view of another diaphragm of slightly modified construction.

FIG. 2A is a section taken at line 2a-2a in FIG. 2.

FIG. 3 is a vertical central sectional view of a bottle containing pills and equipped with a dispensing device embodying teachings of this invention. The assembly here, is in erect position and non-use condition, as it would stand in a medicine cabinet.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view of the showing of FIG. 3, in inverted position. The laden plug is partially removed. Upon complete withdrawal of said plug, its pill content will be available outside the bottle.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the pill-transporting plug which is included in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a fragmental central vertical section of a modified form of this invention. Here, the bottle cap and the plug constitute a unitary structure; said cap serving as the handle for said plug. This view shows the assembly in non-use condition. The diaphragm employed is a cap on the bottles mouth and stays there when the outer cap and the plug it carries, are removed.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary central section of a bottle carrying another form of diaphragm structure.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of another pill dispensing package, of slightly modified construction.

In the drawing, the numeral .15 designates a transparent bottle containing a supply of generally cylindricallyshaped tablets or pills 16. A preferably normally flat diaphragm 17, closes the mouth of the bottle. This diaphragm has a central opening which normally bars a pill from leaving the bottle. Preferably, the diaphragm is of washer-form whose round hole 18 is of a size just small enough to hold a pill back from passage thereihrough. The diaphragm sits atop the bottles mouth rim and is held down by as crew-on cap 19; there being a narrow ring gasket 20, between said diaphragm and the caps ceiling. Said cap has a central threaded hole 21, in which is threadedly engaged a screw section 22 of a removable plug indicated generally by the numeral 23. Said screw section is the plug part which is intermediate a knob 24 serving as the plugs handle, and a generally frusto-conical element 25, as it may be described, having a socket 26 upwardly from the cone base region; the apex region of the cone-shape being at said screw section 22. All parts of said plug are coaxial. This plug is positioned through the diaphragms hole 18, and the rim of said hole is in contact with the apex region of the element 25, without unduly stressing the diaphragm, but just enough to effect a seal. Said plug 23, after being unscrewed from the cap 19, can be pulled free. Of course, the hole 18 is stretched in the process, and automatically returns to its normal smaller size upon the withdrawal of said plug. The socket 2.6 may be designed to hold either one or two pills 16, as may be determined by the position of the ledge 27, which might even be the socket floor. The peripheral wall 28 of the socket is relatively thin, so the central opening in the diaphragm is stretched the least necessary, and the diaphragm is least deformed upon the removal and the replacement of the plug 23. The gasket 20 provides a space for diaphragm movement upon withdrawal of the plug, thus avoiding sharp distortions of the diaphragm.

In FIG. 3, the package is shown in its normal non-use condition. The diaphragm 17 is fiat, and for all practical purposes may be deemed in unstressed condition though it is preferred that it shall slightly hug the plug 23, to effect a seal. The engaged screw section 22 also effects a seal. To extract a pill 16' which has entered the socket 26 upon inverting the package as in FIG. 4, the plug 23 is turned to disengage itself from the tightly screwed on cap 19, and then pulled down and out of the bottle 15. Usually, the withdrawn plug will hold one pill 16' in its socket; said socket as here illustrated, being capable of holding only one pill. It is evident that in the movement of the plug 23 out of the bottle, the diaphragm 17 will be deformed, but as soon as the plug has passed through the diaphragm, the latter will automatically assume its normal flat and unstressed condition. Upon insertion of the plug 23 back into the bottle, the diaphragm will again be stretched and deformed to allow the plug to be forced through it, but as soon as the plug is reset as in FIG. 3, it is of utmost importance to note that the stressed diaphragm will automatically creep up to the apex region of the plug part 25 and resume its normal fiat and unstressed condition; any stress in the diaphragm as it contacts the plug 23 in the assembly as in FIG. 3, or even hugs said plug, being deemed negligible. When said plug is in assembly as mentioned, the contents of the bottle are protected by a double seal against air and moisture. The cap 19, screwed on tight as it always remains on the bottle 15, and closed by the plug 23, effects one such seal, while the contact of the plug by the rim of the hole 18 of the diaphragm, offers the second seal.

The mouth rim of the socket 26 may be flat in a plane normal to the longitudinal axis of the pill-transporting plug 23, but Where it is provided that the plug need be turned as at least part of the necessary movement to get it free from the bottle as in the embodiment of FIG. 3, the mouth rim of said socket may be serrated or scalloped as shown at 29, so in the turning movement of the plug preparatory to its withdrawal from the bottle, said scallops may act as cams to shift the pills thereat and thereby facilitate entrance of a pill into the socket, to lie therein as in FIG. 4. The depth of the socket 26, will of course be such as to accommodate either one or two pills lying flat on one another. In the construction shown, the ledge 27 would determine the pill capacity of said socket. By providing the well 30, a pill standing in the well would be more than half within the socket, and so upon withdrawal of the plug 23 with the pill in such position, such pill would be transported out of the bottle without hindrance from the contracting diaphragm 17, because in this instance when the diaphragm contracts, although it touches the pill which is within the socket, such contraction would tend to 'have the pill pinched by the diaphragm and thereby move it out of the bottle. If it should occur that two pills stand vertically or nearly vertically, resting on their peripheries in the socket 26 which is designed to hold only one pill, such pills would be stopped by the diaphragm from getting out of the bottle, and the plug would be withdrawn without them. All such occurrences are believed understandable without the necessity of further illustration.

The diaphragm used may take on many forms, a few examples of which are shown, besides the flat washer-type 17. For instance, in FIGS. 2 and 2A, the diaphragm 31 is also a washer-type having the hole 18', but its body is concavo-convex, or of some other dished form. The diaphragm may be a cap-form 34, securely mounted on the mouth of the bottle 15, by having the engaging inward flange 34' which holds it from removal, or the diaphragm may be as shown in FIG. 7 at 35, which is in the form of a cap tightly force-fitted into the neck of the bottle 15", and provided with an exterior flange 35' which sits atop and against the mouth rim of said bottle. All diaphragms have a proper central opening as explained. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the cap 19' serves as the handle for the plug 25'; such parts being joined in any suitable manner to be a unitary structure. The cap 19', instead of being in threaded engagement with the neck of the bottle, there need be no threads On either of them, so the cap would be in a good sliding fit on the bottles neck, as can be readily understood without further illustration. In fact, in the showing of FIG. 6, the bottle neck has no cap 19, but only a separate plug like 23, without the threaded section 22, so when such package is not in use, the plug may be set through the hole of the diaphragm 34, in like manner as the plug 23 fits through the diaphragm 17 in FIG. 3, or as the plug 37 fits through the diaphragm 17' in FIG. 8. These same arrangements may be adapted for the diaphragm-equipped bottle 15 of FIG. 7.

The region 36 of the plug 23, where it is slightly hugged by the rim of the hole 18 of the diaphragm 17, as is preferred to be the condition when the package is not in use as in FIGS. 3 and 6, and the diaphragm has returned to horizontal, may be cylindrical and substantially of thed iameter of the hole 18, or 18' as the case may be, and of a longer length along the plug, as is illsutrated in the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, as the shank 36' of the plug 37. In such instance, the socket-provided tapered section of the plug will be of shorter length along the plug. Of importance is that when the plug is fully inserted as in FIGS. 1, 6 and 8, the diaphragm will automatically contract and assume its normal plane which crosses the plug.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the diaphragm 17 is a flat washer type like 17. Like in FIG. 3, it rests atop the mouth rim of the bottle and is associated with the gasket 20', both of which are held down by the cap 38 which is permanently mounted on said bottle, by having an inward flange 38' in engagement with an annular groove on the exterior of the bottle neck. The plug 37 has a tapered section 22 which is releasable from but tightly fits in the tapered central hole in the cap 38. The cap 19 in FIG. 1, may be likewise permanently attached to the bottle 15, instead of being screwed on as shown.

The pill-transporting plugs 23, 25 and 37 may be molded of plastic, and so may the caps 19, 19' and 38. For the embodiment of FIG. 8 in particular, I recommend that the plug 37 be of Plexiglas, and the cap 38 of polyethylene, so when in engagement, they will effect a good seal. The flat diaphragms 17, 17' may be die-cut from any suitable flexible sheeting, as for instance silicone rubber or the plastic Vitone may be'used. The diaphragms 31, 34 and would be moulded. The gaskets 20 and 20 may also be of plastic material. Of course, where conditions are not restrictive, the diaphragms may be of rubber, and the caps and plugs may be of metal or other suitable materials.

In all embodiments, the containers are filled with a supply of pills 16, 16", at random therein, and the usual cotton wad (not shown) inserted, before mounting the diaphragm. Upon removal of the pill-supporting plug from a new package, the user can easily extract the cotton with a pry through the opening in the diaphragm, and thus condition the package for use.

Pills which are toxic in nature should be kept out of the reach of small children anyway. But there are many pill preparations as for instance aspirin, which are usually kept available, and sometimes young children do get to them. In relatively large doses, even aspirin is harmful to young ones. It is therefore to be noted, that as to the packaged constructions herein taught, that even if a child 'may have learned enough to be able to turn the plug 23,

and then pull it free, the most he could get out of the bottle 15 would be one or two pills. These could not seriously affect him. He would have to invert the bottle before pulling out the plug, to get the pills out. Such manipulation may still not be within his propensity. Even if he got the cap 19 off in the embodiments of FIGS. 6 and FIG. 7, if the latter were so equipped, he could at most push a finger into the hole of the diaphragm 34 or 35 as the case may be, but he could release no pill, especially if the bottles neck has an inside diameter of less than inch. He could not pull off the diaphragm 34 or 35, for they are secured against such removal, either by an engaged inward flange as 34, a strong force-fit, or their being cemented to the bottle.

Heretofore, in devices of this general class, the opening in the diaphragm was offered by having the diaphragm slitted either from a central point along radial lines or there was a central opening whose rim had radial slits or notches extending therefrom, in both of which instances, the diaphragm was thereby provided with bendable resilient ta-bs which were normally in convergent relation. The tabs could be pried by a young child and he would get an opening of a size for pills either to fall through, or the opening became large enough for him to roll a pill through the diaphragm. This of course made the package very unsafe in a childs hands.

In the present invention, such unsafe condition is avoided, for the opening in the diaphragm can always only be enlarged by stretching the hole rim, and not by bending tabs to increase the opening in the diaphragm. So

normally, unless the bottle is broken, it appears that the packages shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, as explained offer considerable security against tots from getting at bottle contents to cause harm. The construction shown in FIG. 8 offers the maximum security in this respect.

In the appended claim, the word unslitted shall be deemed to include the term nu-notched. Also, the word pill shall be deemed to include tablets. It is also to be noted that the dispensers taught herein can be used for pills of shapes other than shown, as for instance they may be of spherical shape, and the term pills as used herein shall include preperations in capsule form. Of course, in all instances, the socket in the pill-transporting member is made to suit, and such socket designs are believed readily understandable to those versed in the art, Without the necessity of further illustration.

It is evident that the constructions taught herein require no change in presently employed packaging machinery equipment or processes, and use standard containers without change, and further, they fulfill the requirements which I have mentioned a proper tablet dispenser should have This invention is capable of various forms and numerous applications without departing from the essential features herein disclosed. It is therefore intended and desired that the embodiments shown and explained herein shall be deemed merely illustrative and not restrictive, and that the patent shall cover all patentable novelty herein set forth; reference being had to the following claims rather than to the specific description herein, to indicate the scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. In combination, a dispensing container for holding pills therein, and a separate pill-transporting socket memher for receiving a predetermined number of pills therein; said container having a dispensing closure thereon in the form of a diaphragm wall member which is of resilient material and has an opening therethrough which is of a size to hold back a pill from leaving the container; the rim of said opening being unslitted so it can be enlarged only by stretching the diaphragm by the forceful insertion of the socket member therethrough to extend into the container; said socket member including a longitudinal section of substantially frusto-conical shape whose base is in the region of one end of said socket member; said socket member having a socket therein, whose mouth opening is in said end; said socket being adapted to receive and hold said predetermined number of pills only; said socket being determined by a peripheral Wall presenting an exposed mouth rim around the mouth of the socket; said mouth rim to engage said diaphragm where-' upon forcing said socket member in the direction into the container to distort and thereby stretch said diaphragm from its normal condition whereby said diaphragm is stressed and its opening enlarged, thereby permitting said socket member to enter the container whereupon said diaphragm due to its resiliency will automatically return substantially to its normal position and condition when the socket member has entered a predetermined distance into the container, whereby on positioning the container so the diaphragm is below the pills, pills will enter said socket up to said predetermined number, for delivery out of the container upon the withdrawal of the socket member from the container and through the diaphragm; the transverse cross section of the socket member in the general normal plane of the opening in the diaphragm, when said socket member is through the diaphragm and .extends said predetermined distance into the container, being insuflicient to materially distort the diaphragm; the other end of the socket member which is accessible exterior the container, constituting an element to serve as a handle for manipulating said socket member; that longi tudinal part of the socket member which commences at the mouth rim of the socket and extends to the normal plane of the opening in the diaphragm when the socket member is through the diaphragm and extends said predetermined distance into the container, being of a transverse cross section anywhere therealong, which never increases in size, so the resiliency of the diaphragm when deformed by the entry of the socket member, will automatically cause the diaphragm to assume its normal position and condition when the socket member is entered into the container said predetermined distance.

2. The combination as defined in claim 1, wherein the opening in the diaphragm is similar in shape with the transverse cross section of the socket member, which is in the general plane of said opening when the socket memher is inserted through said opening and entered into the container said predetermined distance, whereupon the entire mouth rim of said opening is in contact with the socket member at said cross section.

3. The combination as defined in claim 1, wherein the socket member is in the form of a plug-type closure which is normally positioned through the opening in the diaphragm and extends into the container the said predetermined distance.

4. The combination as defined in claim 1, wherein the container has an annular neck and the diaphragm is a cap extending across and about said neck and secured thereto against removal therefrom by the movement of said socket member therethrough or by the force that can be exerted by a young child.

5. The combination as defined in claim 1, wherein the container has an annular neck and the diaphragm is a cap fitted in and extending across said neck and secured thereto against removal therefrom by the movement of said socket member therethrough or by the force that can be exerted by a young child.

6. The combination as defined in claim 1, wherein the container has an annular neck and the diaphragm is across said neck within a substantially rigid cap on said neck; said cap having a central threaded hole and the opening in the diaphragm being a role in alignment with the holein the cap; said threaded hole being large enough to permit the frusto-conical portion of the socket member to pass therethrough; said socket member having a threaded portion intermediate said frusto-conical part and the handle part, for releasable engagement with said threaded hole in the cap.

7. The combination as defined in claim 1, wherein the container has an annular neck; the diaphragm being across said neck and secured thereto against removal therefrom by the movement of the socket member therethrough; the handle element of said socket member being adapted to releasably fit on said neck to close the container.

8. The combination as defined in claim 1, wherein the diaphragm is flat in normal condition.

9. The combination as defined in claim 1, wherein the container has an annular neck and the diaphragm is across said neck, a substantially rigid cap on and about said neck ing a threaded hole; the opening in the diaphragm being a hole in alignment with said hole in the cap; said hole in the cap being large enough to permit the frusto conical portion of the socket member to pass therethrough; said socket member having a portion intermediate said frustoconical part and the handle part for releasable engagement with the cap when within the hole in the cap; said portion being in such engagement when the socket member is entered said predetermined distance into the container, and said portion closing said hole.

10. The combination as defined in claim 2, wherein the opening in the diaphragm is of such size, whereupon the occurrence of said contact, the socket member is hugged by the diaphragm thereby sealing the container against the entrance of air and moisture.

11. The combination as defined in claim 2, wherein said opening in the diaphragm is a round hole.

12. The combination as defined in claim 11, wherein the mouth rim of the socket is of irregular contour whereby on turning the socket member when it is inserted through said opening and the diaphragm is in position below the pills, the pills contacting said mouth rim will be shifted during such turning movement to facilitate entrance of the required number of pills into the socket.

13. The combination as defined in claim 6, wherein the mouth rim of the socket is of irregular contour whereby on turning the socket member when it is inserted through the diaphragm and in engagement with the threaded hole in the cap, and the container is positioned so that the diaphragm is below the pills, then the pills contacting said mouth rim will be shifted during such turning movement which is necessary to disengage the socket member from said threaded hole in the cap and thereby facilitate entrance of the required number of pills into the socket.

14. The combination as defined in claim 6, wherein the diaphragm is within the cap and lies against the mouth rim of the annular neck; said cap holding the diaphragm against the mouth rim of said neck.

15. The combination as defined in claim 14, including a gasket within the cap, resting against the perimetrical region of the diaphragm; said cap being in contact with said gasket and pressing it against the diaphragm.

16. The combination as defined in claim 9, wherein that last mentioned portion of the socket member which is for closing the hole in the cap, and such hole, are tapered.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,961,045 11/1960 Stogner et a1. 221267 XR 3,189,222 6/1965 Smalley 221288 XR FOREIGN PATENTS 794,682 12/1935 France.

273,591 9/1964 Netherlands.

WALTER SOBIN, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION, A DISPENSING CONTAINER FOR HOLDING PILLS THEREIN, AND A SEPARATE PILL-TRANSPORTING SOCKET MEMBER FOR RECEIVING A PREDETERMINED NUMBER OF PILLS THEREIN; SAID CONTAINER HAVING A DISPENSING CLOSURE THEREON IN THE FORM OF A DIAPHRAGM WALL MEMBER WHICH IS OF RESILIENT MATERIAL AND HAS AN OPENING THERETHROUGH WHICH IS OF A SIZE TO HOLD BACK A PILL FROM LEAVING THE CONTAINER; THE RIM OF SAID OPENING BEING UNSLITTED SO IT CAN BE ENLARGED ONLY BY STRETCHING THE DIAPHRAGM BY THE FORCEFUL INSERTION OF THE SOCKET MEMBER THERETHROUGH TO EXTEND INTO THE CONTAINER; SAID SOCKET MEMBER INCLUDING A LONGITUDINAL SECTION OF SUBSTANTIALLY FRUSTO-CONICAL SHAPE WHOSE BASE IS IN THE REGION OF ONE END OF SAID SOCKET MEMBER; SAID SOCKET MEMBER HAVING A SOCKET THEREIN, WHOSE MOUTH OPENING IS IN SAID END; SAID SOCKET BEING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AND HOLD SAID PREDETERMINED NUMBER OF PILLS ONLY; SAID SOCKET BEING DETERMINED BY A PERIPHERAL WALL PRESENTING AN EXPOSED MOUTH RIM AROUND THE MOUTH OF THE SOCKET; SAID MOUTH RIM TO ENGAGE SAID DIAPHRAGM WHEREUPON FORCING SAID SOCKET MEMBER IN THE DIRECTION INTO THE CONTAINER TO DISTORT AND THEREBY STRETCH SAID DIAPHRAGM FROM ITS NORMAL CONDITION WHEREBY SAID DIAPHRAGM IS STRESSED AND ITS OPENING ENLARGED, THEREBY PERMITTING SAID SOCKET MEMBER TO ENTER THE CONTAINER WHEREUPON SAID DIAPHRAGM DUE TO ITS RESILIENCY WILL AUTOMATICALLY RETURN SUBSTANTIALLY TO ITS NORMAL POSITION AND CONDITION WHEN THE SOCKET MEMBER HAS ENTERED A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE INTO THE CONTAINER, WHEREBY ON POSITIONING THE CONTAINER SO THE DIAPHRAGM IS BELOW THE PILLS, PILLS WILL ENTER SAID SOCKET UP TO SAID PREDETERMINED NUMBER, FOR DELIVERY OUT OF THE CONTAINER UPON THE WITHDRAWAL OF THE SOCKET MEMBER FROM THE CONTAINER AND THROUGH THE DIAPHRAGM; THE TRANSVERSE CROSS SECTION OF THE SOCKET MEMBER IN THE GENERAL NORMAL PLANE OF THE OPENING IN THE DIAPHRAGM, 